I appreciate the work teachers do. Many inspired me and inspired my own daughter. It is hard for me though to reconcile why it is teachers sometimes don't seem to realize how lucky they are.

What I mean is this. If I want a more advanced degree I can go to night school or weekends, but I don't have a summer to attend classes and still get paid. If I want to take a missions trip I take unpaid leave from work because I sure don't have enough vacation to cover a summer (or more than 2 weeks). If I want to take a sabbatical (which I know is not always offered anymore) well in the business world it's called "unemployment".

There are jobs that have "special" perks, like the plumber who can do his own or the builder who can build his own but most jobs aren't of a nature that you would use day-to-day to benefit yourself.

It may sound corny, but teachers today have staggeringly excellent benefits compared to teachers when I was growing up in the 50's, 60's and 70's. At my High School we used to joke that you could tell the students parking lot from the teachers just by the cars. The students had the new VW's and mustangs and the teachers had the junkers. People were teachers for the love of teaching not for personal gain that's for sure.

Oh my, Maisonment. You fly in the face of the old "those who can, do..." chestnut. First you actually did, then you decided to teach. And you sound as if you were happy and effective in both pursuits. Great! I am sure your students gain a lot from your real world experience--if you can link math to something real life and attention-grabbing, that is very valuable.

Welcome to the board!

Hello Maisonment:

You restore my faith in humanity! The fact that you experienced a life outside of teaching and now are teaching is a testament to the fact that following your dreams can happen.

I am sure your students benefit greatly from the fact that you know the positives and negatives of life outside academia.

Please see if u can exult some of that to your fellow teacher,,,, they all seem to be a bit angry at their jobs these days

To all my fellow teachers out there,

No one really knows the effort, the heart, and the sweat that you all contribute to society, families, and most of all the kids. The bottom line in this business: the kids -- and the future. Get ready for another fantastic year. Your students are waiting anxiously for school to begin. Thank you for giving it your best shot -- day after day and year after year. Thank you.